1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a light regulating device and photonic crystal display utilizing photonic bandgap controls that adjust refractive index differences among materials constructing photonic crystals to control a photonic bandgap size.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photonic crystal may be characterized as two or more materials having different refractive indices or dielectric constants being arranged in order in a form of a lattice structure. A photonic bandgap is formed in an orderly arrangement of the materials having such different refractive indices. A characteristic of the photonic bandgap is the ability to block electromagnetic waves having particular frequencies or wavelengths from being propagated inside a photonic crystal.
In a case that the photonic bandgap of a photonic crystal is formed in a range of visible light and the frequency or wavelength of light incident on the photonic crystal corresponds to the photonic bandgap, more than 99% of the incident light is theoretically reflected from the photonic crystal. In contrast, most of the incident light having frequencies or wavelengths other than those corresponding to the photonic bandgap penetrate the photonic crystal.
As stated above, the size of a photonic bandgap is primarily determined by differences in refractive indices of materials constructing the photonic crystal. Accordingly, research on controlling a photonic bandgap using such refractive indices of materials is ongoing. However, a display device operating through the control of the photonic bandgap of a photonic crystal has not thus far been developed.